Penstemon plant named ‘Dopensprinig’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant named ‘Dopensprinig’, characterized by its upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; relatively large dark purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Penstemon barbatus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPENSPRINIG’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier, The Netherlands on Feb. 18, 2022, application number 2022/0500. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant, botanically known as Penstemon barbatus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dopensprinig’.

The new Penstemon plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-branching Penstemon plants with attractive flower color.

The new Penstemon plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2016 in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, of a proprietary selection of Penstemon barbatus identified as code number PE14-000053-014, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Penstemon barbatus as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Penstemon plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in May, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Penstemon plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands since June, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Penstemon plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Penstemon have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dopensprinig’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dopensprinig’ as a new and distinct Penstemon plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Relatively large dark purple-colored flowers.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Penstemon differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Penstemon have dark purple-colored flowers whereas plants of the female parent selection have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Penstemon can be compared to plants of Penstemon schmidel ‘Marble Riding Hood’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,098. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Penstemon and ‘Marble Riding Hood’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Penstemon are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Marble Riding Hood’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Penstemon are dark purple in         color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Marble Riding Hood’ are         light red purple and white in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Penstemon plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Penstemon plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of typical flowering plant of ‘Dopensprinig’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 17-cm containers initially in a glass-covered greenhouse and finished in an outdoor nursery in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Penstemon production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were 22 weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Second Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Penstemon barbatus ‘Dopensprinig’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Penstemon             barbatus identified as code number PE14-000053-014, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Penstemon             barbatus, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days             at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 20 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown             as a container and garden plant; upright plant habit;             vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 40 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 34 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity of lateral branches: Freely             branching habit, about 14 lateral branches develop per             plant. Length: About 38 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode             length: About 5 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to             about 30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; glossy. Color, developing: Close to 144B. Color,             developed: Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; decussate and sessile.         -   Length.—About 11.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Linear to lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147A; venation, close to 145A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single             bi-labiate flowers arranged on terminal racemes; flowers             face mostly outwardly; freely flowering with about 20             flowers developing per inflorescence and about 770 flowers             developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; pleasant.         -   Time to flower.—Early flowering habit, plants begin to             flower about 14 weeks after planting.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower for about eight to ten weeks during the summer in The             Netherlands; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Elongate ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             glossy. Color: Close to 77A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 26 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8 cm.         -   Flower width (horizontal).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower length (vertical).—About 2 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1 cm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 2 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—About 9 mm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused into a tube; bi-labiate,             upper lip with two upper petals and lower lip with three             lower petals. Lobe length, upper and lower lips: About 1 cm.             Lobe width, upper and lower lips: About 5 mm. Lobe shape:             Oblong. Lobe apex: Obtuse. Lobe margin: Entire; not             undulate. Lobe texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Lobe texture and luster, lower surface:             Pubescent; glossy. Throat, texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube,             texture: Pubescent. Color: Lobes, when opening, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 77A. Lobes, fully opened, upper             surface: Upper lip, close to 79B and lower lip, close to             77A; venation, close to 79A; color does not change with             subsequent development. Lobes, fully opened, upper surface:             Upper lip, close to 79B and lower lip, close to 77A;             venation, close to 77A; color does not change with             subsequent development. Flower throat: Close to 77A;             venation, close to 79A. Flower tube: Close to 77A; venation,             close to 77A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused in a single whorl.             Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: When             opening and fully developed, upper surface: Close to 143A.             When opening and fully developed, lower surface: Close to             143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Aspect: About 5° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color:             Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect:             Upright to about 30° from peduncle axis. Strength: Weak.             Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Close             to 144A tinged with close to 77A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Filament length: About 2.5 cm. Filament color: Close to             155D. Anther size: About 1 mm by 4 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to 158A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Style length: About 2.1 cm.             Style color: Close to 77B and 155D. Stigma diameter: About             0.5 mm. Stigma shape: Capitate. Stigma color: Close to 155D.             Ovary color: Close to 144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Penstemon. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Penstemon have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from −25° C. to 35° C. and to be suitable for     USDA Hardiness Zone 5. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Penstemon     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Penstemon plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Penstemon plant named ‘Dopensprinig’ as illustrated and described. 